Piltover Nights
by Aneiria
Summary: Ezreal and Lux are trying to lie low in Piltover following the royal wedding fiasco, but all is not peaceful in the City of Progress. Will their love be able to survive the dark terror that stalks the city?
1. Chapter 1

KATARINA DU COUTEAU was bored. It had been two weeks since the Demacian wedding fiasco. Lux, her best friend, had left the day before with Ezreal to lie low in Piltover for a while.

The rest of the Demacian contingency had returned to the League immediately, but the crown prince, Jarvan IV, had stayed in Demacia, to nurse his wounded pride and attend to matters there while he had the time.

Katarina couldn't care less about Jarvan, but where Jarvan was, Garen was, and she was horny and frustrated. She'd even volunteered for extra rotation time on the Rift, hoping the opportunity to kill indiscriminately would dampen her appetite.

No such luck. She sighed as she stalked the grounds of the Institute. She saw Talon in the distance and decided to catch up with him. It had been a long time since she'd spent any time with her blood brother.

* * *

GAREN, MEANWHILE, WAS distracted. He missed Katarina. On the day of the doomed wedding she had kissed him at the front of the church, in front of all of Demacia, before sashaying off in silence.

Garen's parents had been furious.

'How could you do this to us, Garen?' his father had raged. 'How could both of you do this? Bad enough that Lux brought the Crownguard name into disrepute, abandoning our future king at the alter and getting banished, but you and a _Noxian_?'

His father paced the floor like a caged tiger as his mother sank into one of the plush blue velvet chairs, sobbing.

'You're lucky you weren't banished along with your sister.'

Garen sighed to himself. 'I am sorry, father,' he replied. 'Things are – different – at the League.'

Marcus Crownguard stopped in his tracks and glared at his son. 'Well then, it may be time for your League service to come to an end.' With a sharp nod of his head, his father dismissed Garen from the room.

Surprisingly, in the weeks that had followed, Jarvan had been the most understanding. He had seemed reasonably unconcerned by his jilting once he'd gotten over his initial fury. Garen knew Jarvan had never loved Lux, or even really had any feelings of tenderness towards her, but he suspected that Shyvana walking around the palace with a smouldering satisfaction about her had something to do with Jarvan's unconcerned attitude.

'Honestly, Garen,' he had laughed. 'You and Katarina, eh? I had no idea.'

Garen shifted uncomfortably, not saying anything in response.

Jarvan frowned. 'Although it has to come to an end. My father, the king, is concerned that this is a Noxian trick to gather intelligence on Demacia.'

Garen bristled. 'I have never spoken to Katarina on Demacian matters,' he retorted stiffly.

'Not yet,' replied Jarvan nonchalantly. He looked up at Garen and smiled. 'Plenty of Demacian women have eyes for you, brother.'

Garen ignored that comment. 'When are we returning to the Institute?'

Jarvan looked at him thoughtfully. 'In time, brother. In time.'

* * *

EZREAL OF PILTOVER was nervous. The fallout from his stunt at the royal wedding had been greater than both he and Lux had hoped. The Noxians thought it was hilarious: Darius had even given Ez a friendly slap on the back when he had seen him back at the Institute.

His fellow Piltoverians had been a bit frosty: Piltover and Demacia maintained a loose alliance, and he could tell they were worried that this happening had risked destabilising that relationship.

The Demacians, of course, had completely ignored both of them. Quinn had thrown Lux a look of guilty sympathy and a half-wave, but that had been it.

Banished.

The Demacian Army general and queen-to-be had been banished from her own kingdom. He knew Lux was secretly hurting that her country could turn its back on her so easily, but he knew really she missed her brother most of all.

She and Garen may not always see eye-to-eye, but she loved him and Ez knew that she couldn't bear it if he disowned her.

After days of tiptoeing around the silent halls, Ez had had enough and they'd made the decision to visit Piltover. He hadn't been back in years, and Lux had never visited the city-state.

He was nervous that she might not like it there, that it might make her pine for Demacia. He stole a sideways look at her as their carriage continued towards the city.

She had already stopped wearing blue: Ez wasn't sure whether it had been a conscious decision or not. Instead she had started to wear more subdued colours: browns and blacks, and had acquired a purple-bordered, hooded cloak, which brought out the blue of her eyes.

She caught him looking and gave him a gentle nudge.

'Don't worry,' she smiled. 'I have a feeling I'm going to love Piltover.'

* * *

THE PILTOVER TIMES had not carried a positive headline in days. With a sigh Caitlyn pushed the broadsheet aside and rolled onto her back. Vi looked up from the graphic novel she was reading next to her.

'What's up, cupcake?' Caitlyn had been subdued ever since Ezreal had gone back home to Piltover.

'No good news, Vi,' she replied sadly. 'These murders are getting out of hand. I might have to head back to Piltover for a while if things don't quieten down soon.'

Vi put down her book and reached across Caitlyn for the newspaper. Quickly flicking through the crime pages, a frown settling on her forehead, she considered the reports.

'Five murders in three weeks?' she whistled low and long. 'They reckon it's the same perp?'

Cait nodded. 'Looks like a serial killer. Always the same method.'

She turned to Vi with troubled eyes. 'I'm worried about Ezreal going back there.'

Vi laughed and picked up her graphic novel again.

'Ez will be fine, Cait. And he's got Lux with him, remember.'

Caitlyn sighed unhappily. 'I certainly hope you're right.'


	2. Chapter 2

LUX DID LOVE Piltover. The hustle and bustle, the energy, the people and the machines and the buildings – even the excited yordles they'd passed outside the Yordle Academy of Science and Progress – all of it was an incredible assault on the senses compared to the uniformity of Demacia.

All along the main road bars and restaurants were still open, their signs glowing with a strange luminescence against the dark of night (Ezreal told her that they'd harnessed the power of an element called neon to produce the light). Couples staggered down the street with their arms around each other. Piltover Customs was still open and doing business, the mechanics and engineers working in the open-fronted garage, oily in their overalls, shouting and laughing with one another.

Lux wished they could spend some time here instead of heading straight to Ez's old professor's home where they were going to stay.

Ezreal seemed to read her mind: he asked their driver to pull over and then led Lux onto the pavement. He put his head to the window and had a hurried conversation in Pilt with the driver, who nodded and then drove off after Ez handed him a few purple banknotes.

'He's going to drop our bags off at Professor Sephar's,' he explained, brushing the hair from her eyes. She smiled happily at him and he took her hand, walking them down a side alley.

They tumbled into an urban courtyard where people sat around drinking and laughing, lanterns lighting the square, a man at a sizzling barbeque dancing and singing in time with the band at their kettle drums and strumming their guitars. A small group of yordles chattered in high-pitched voices and swung each other around in excited circles.

All Lux could think of was how happy everyone looked, how free and uninhibited. Ez was looking at her, his eyes deep pools of blue, and she reached her fingertips to his lips. He kissed them tenderly and then took her hand in his before kissing her on and on in the middle of the courtyard with the party continuing around them. When he pulled away his eyes were sparkling with happiness.

'Welcome to Piltover,' he said huskily against her ear.

* * *

JARVAN HAD CONVINCED the Crownguards to let Garen return to the Institute with him. After all, Jarvan had told them, how could he expect to perform at the League and keep on top of his royal duties without his sworn brother by his side? Marcus and Lilia Crownguard reasoned that if they couldn't be parents-in-law to the future king of Demacia, at least they could have a son who was as good as a brother to him. They'd also had reassurance from Jarvan that the – affair, or whatever it was – with the du Couteau girl would go no further.

Garen was packed and ready to go. He was wearing his Demacian armour, ready to escort his prince back to the Institute; his sword was sheathed at his side and his horse was saddled and dressed in Demacian livery, pawing the ground impatiently as it waited.

Jarvan was not ready. Royal prerogative, Garen supposed. Jarvan was rarely on time. Not even the thought of his new half-dragon lover waiting for him at the League could incite the heir to move any quicker.

Garen was desperate to get back to the Institute. He missed his little sister. Damn the League. Being around those other cultures was starting to rub off on him. He wanted to see Lux, to apologise for being an idiot, to reassure her that her banishment from Demacia hadn't changed anything – at least not for the worse – between them. He was full of admiration for her courage in defying her country and standing up for her faith in love.

He cringed to himself. He'd end up having to become a support at this rate, all loving and caring.

He also missed Katarina. He had been angry at her at first, furious about the scene she had made and the rumours she'd caused, but as he calmed down and time went on, he recognised that, far from goading the Demacians and showing off the strength of Noxus, she had actually made herself incredibly vulnerable. She'd defied her own country: Noxus wouldn't approve of such a match; but she'd also exposed her own heart to him, effectively letting him know that this had become more than an affair to her.

He gave his mare a scratch between the ears to soothe her as she champed the bit. Can I be more like the two women I love? he wondered. Could he throw off duty and country like a heavy cloak, the way Lux and Katarina had done, and trust in love and friendship instead? He'd find out soon enough.

Finally, Jarvan came stalking out of the palace to his waiting entourage.

'Gentlemen,' he announced regally, mounting his destrier. 'To the League of Legends!'

* * *

LUX AND EZ stayed at the party, laughing with the locals, eating barbequed meat with their fingers and drinking local Piltover ale.

'Won't your professor mind us being late?' Lux had asked before they'd settled down at a table.

Ez had shaken his head. 'No, it will be fine. You can meet him at breakfast in the morning instead.'

Ezreal was now chatting in rapid Pilt to a group of local students, a look of concern on his face. Lux couldn't follow what they were saying. She only knew the odd word in Pilt and they were speaking far too fast and in such strong accents that she couldn't even pick them out.

One of the boys stood suddenly and ran off, returning within minutes with a poster that Ezreal took from him.

'What is it?' Lux asked, looking over his shoulder. The poster was in Pilt but a large sketch of a disturbing shadowy figure carrying some kind of curved blade and holding a – was that a _lantern_? – in its hands made its unsavoury nature obvious.

'There have been several murders in Piltover in the last few weeks,' Ez replied in a troubled voice. 'Five so far, all of them young men. All died with looks of terror on their faces and with signs of magical burns on them.' He nodded to the students who were now sat in silence, watching him.

'People are scared.' He pushed the poster towards the boys and they took it back, subdued and quiet. Lux took his hand under the table and squeezed it.

They staggered home later that night, arm in arm and giggling like schoolchildren. Professor Sephar was already in bed when his butler let them in and showed them to their room.

Lux stretched lazily and shed her clothes like a dust falling from butterflies wings, until she stood there in nothing but her silky, emerald green underwear, her skin luminous as it always was. Ez undressed more slowly, watching her with relish as she fell back on the bed, her golden hair fanned out on the pillows, and pushed a wandering hand under the soft green of her silk panties, moaning slightly as she touched herself.

Ezreal fell onto her and impatient to get at her, pushed her hand away. He found her clitoris under his hand and then sank two fingers into her, kissing her as she gasped in delight. He didn't bother to undress her any further, eager to penetrate her, and pushed aside the scrap of silk as he sunk himself deep into her. As he slowly thrust himself against her, she took his hand to her mouth and languorously sucked on the fingers that he had pushed inside her, tasting herself on him. Suddenly incredibly horny, he moved faster and harder against her and cried out loudly as he came forcefully into her.

It didn't take them long after that to fall asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

LUX WOKE THE next morning with a sore head from the ale and a sweet ache between her legs from Ezreal. She rolled over and reached out for him but he wasn't there.

She sat up in bed, pulling the covers up to her breasts, and looked around the room. It was suffused with a golden glow in the morning light, and was light and airy and welcoming. She stretched happily and then got out of bed, shrugging on Ezreal's discarded shirt as she padded barefoot to the bathroom.

After brushing her teeth and showering she wandered over to the wardrobe: she found her clothes already unpacked and hanging neatly up, and took down a pair of loose trousers and a long-sleeved tunic in a pale, leaf green and edged with rose that Karma had given her, telling her it would be much more comfortable in Piltover's stifling summer heat than her Demacian clothes.

Quickly changing she kept her feet bare and crept out to the landing. The great sweeping staircase was open and she heard the low tones of Ezreal talking to somebody from below. Taking a deep breath she walked down the stairs and followed the sound of voices. She found them in an open dining room, the table before them laden with fresh fruit, pastries and an enormous teapot.

Ez was facing the door, lounging back in his chair with his legs stretched out in front of him. When he saw her his blue eyes lit up and he smiled lazily at her. The man sitting opposite Ez saw his eyes shift and stood up in excitement, turning to face her. He had a kind, wrinkled face, pale green eyes crinkling behind thick spectacles, and a mass of wild grey hair. He beamed at her and dashed forward, taking both of her hands in his and kissing her on both cheeks.

'The lovely Luxanna Crownguard!' he smiled at her, still holding her hands. 'I have heard so much about you from Ezreal. It is an absolute pleasure to meet you, an absolute pleasure!' He suddenly gave a bark of laughter and Lux found herself smiling back, disarmed by the old man's genuine warmth and affection. He ushered her towards the laden table and pulled out a seat for her.

'Sit! Eat! You must be hungry.'

Ezreal smiled at her. 'Lux, this is Professor Sephar,' he formally introduced them. 'He teaches anthropology and archaeology at the University of Piltover. He's been my mentor since I was a young boy.'

Lux smiled at the old man. 'It is a pleasure to meet you, professor. Thank you for letting us stay with you while we visit Piltover.'

The old man tutted and shook his hand at her as if to say "not at all". As she reached for a teacup Ez picked up the teapot and poured the hot, clear liquid for her.

'You look beautiful,' he murmured as he did. Lux blushed prettily and smiled at him from beneath her lashes.

The professor lifted an enormous chocolate pastry from the plate and took a huge bite, chewing with relish. When he swallowed he looked over to his guests.

'So, what are your plans for today?' he enquired. His face lit up. 'Would you like a tour of the university?' he asked excitedly, looking at Lux.

She laughed and nodded. 'That would be wonderful,' she agreed, looking across to Ez. 'Would that be alright with you?'

'Of course! I haven't been there in years,' he agreed. 'It will be good to see the old haunts.'

* * *

LUX WASN'T AT the Institute. The Demacian contingent had been quick to tell Jarvan and Garen that she and the Explorer had gone running off to Piltover for a while.

Garen quickly excused himself, not wanting to get drawn into the gossip about his sister. He wandered the grounds of the Institute mindlessly, ending up and the big, leafy courtyard at the centre of the grounds. He caught a glimpse of dancing red hair from across the way: it was her.

'Katarina!' he called in his deep voice, taking strides in her direction. She regarded him with wary eyes and walked towards him, meeting under the great tree at the centre of the courtyard.

She gave him a nonchalant smile. 'What's up, lover boy?'

He frowned at her. 'This is serious, Kat,' he said.

Shit. Katarina did not like the sound of this. She knew she'd taken a massive risk with her actions at the wedding. Darius had made it clear that the Noxians were not overly impressed by the affiliation, and when she had tried to talk to Talon the other day he had been downright rude about her 'dalliance', as he had called it. And it looked like it hadn't even paid off. Damn Garen and his love for Demacia and his idolisation of Jarvan the idiot. She should have known it wouldn't have worked.

'Garen, you don't have to do this here,' she murmured. Champions idly milling around the courtyard had unashamedly stopped to watch. She glimpsed Talon on the edge in the shadows, and Quinn and Fiora on a bench together. Even a couple of the supports, Taric and Karma, had paused in their conversation to observe them.

Garen shook his head stubbornly. 'Yes, I do,' he replied shortly.

He looked at her for a long moment, intense and inscrutable. She hated the way she could never read his eyes; work out what he was really thinking.

'Kat, I…' he paused, struggling for the words. She mentally braced herself, wishing there was no one around to witness her humiliation.

'I love you.'

He said it simply, clearly, and loud enough for all of the uninvited observers to hear. So unexpected were his words that Kat didn't really register them until after the combined intake of breath from the champions around them. She looked into his dark eyes with confusion.

'What?' she said, stupidly. He took her hands in his own and took a step closer to her.

'I love you, Katarina,' he repeated. He then raised one hand to her cheek, stroking it gently, before running his hand into her soft hair, pulling their faces and bodies together, and then kissed her, long and hard and passionately in front of the speechless audience. He didn't say another word to her, just broke away, took her by the hand and led her away from the courtyard and towards the Demacian wing. Talon had already melted back into the shadows. Quinn and Fiora looked at each other with incredulity. Karma and Taric shared a delighted look. Love was winning at the League!


	4. Chapter 4

THE UNIVERSITY OF Piltover was like nothing Lux had seen before.

Golden towers dotted the structure, with some wings looking as if they were only held together by magic.

She and Ezreal wandered hand in hand as Professor Sephar kept up a detailed narrative of everything before them: who had built what, and when, and why.

'This is the Department of Archaeology,' the old man announced grandly, flinging the doors open dramatically as he strode in.

Ez squeezed her hand. 'This is where I studied,' he whispered.

The halls were wooden-floored, echoey, reverent: as if they'd walked into a church.

Lux spotted cabinets of dusty treasures, of copper bowls and statues of long-forgotten gods.

Halfway down the main corridor, three female students were walking towards them, long hair dancing as they talked animatedly between themselves.

When they spotted Lux and Ezreal they stopped in surprise and hurriedly whispered to one another: after some scrabbling about one of them produced a notebook and pen from a soft suede bag.

Hesitatingly, they approached Ezreal, who blushed slightly, and asked for his autograph.

Lux stepped back and let the girls crowd around him eagerly, as they asked him questions and he scrawled his signature out for them. She watched fondly as he smiled at them and bade them goodbye as they hurried off, giggling.

Professor Sephar chuckled and opened a nearby door. 'This is my office,' he said to Lux. 'We can stop for a cup of tea if you like?'

She and Ez sat down as the professor bumbled around, heating a teapot on the fire and preparing the cups.

'So, Professor,' Lux began with a sly sideways glance at Ez. 'How old was Ez when he graduated?'

Ezreal groaned quietly as the professor puffed up self-importantly.

'Ezreal was seventeen when he graduated,' he said with all of the pride of a father. 'Graduated with three degrees, that is,' he clarified. 'Archaeology, anthropology and ancient languages.'

Lux took a cup of hot tea from him in both hands, looking at the Explorer.

'Wow, Ez,' she muttered.

He looked embarrassed and she smiled at him. 'It's nothing to be embarrassed about,' she chided gently. 'It's fantastic.' He didn't reply but looked less uncomfortable.

Lux turned to the professor.

'In Demacia we only have a military university,' she explained to him.

Ez stilled slightly. This was the first time she had mentioned Demacia since her banishment.

'You only went if you were going to become a battlefield medic or a tactician. We never did value learning for learning's sake.'

The professor and Ezreal were silent as she stared into her cup thoughtfully. Eventually she looked up at the two scholars in front of her.

'We definitely have it wrong.' And then she drank her tea.

* * *

CAITLYN WAS RETURNING to Piltover. Another murder had been reported overnight, and it was clear the city was in dire need of its Sheriff.

Vi watched as Cait packed her things.

'Are you sure you don't want me to come as well?'

Caitlyn shook her head at her partner. 'Not just yet, Vi,' she replied. 'Let me get there first and assess the situation. I need you to stay here and keep an eye on Jinx – make sure she stays out of trouble. The last thing we need is her returning to Piltover and causing havoc.'

Vi nodded silently in agreement as Cait placed her striped hat on her head, picked up her bag and slung her gun over her shoulder. She gave Vi a wink.

'See you later, partner.'

'Good luck, cupcake,' Vi replied, and then the sheriff was gone.

* * *

EZREAL AND LUX enjoyed the next few days in Piltover. They met up with old friends and university colleagues of Ez's, and fit in some sightseeing of the City of Progress.

He'd taken her out for dinner that night and they'd dressed up for the occasion: him in a dashing white suit and tie with a dark pink rose in his lapel; her in an elegant long dress the same dark pink as his rose.

The silk clung to her curves in the most delicious way, Ez thought to himself idly as she took a sip of her champagne and smiled at him.

After dinner they wandered down the street hand in hand.

Suddenly Ezreal stopped and his head snapped to the left, looking intently down a darkened alleyway.

'HEY!' he suddenly roared, taking off at a sprint.

'Ezreal!'

Momentarily stunned, it took Lux a few seconds to jump into action, gathering her dress around her thighs and expertly running in her gold high heels.

Muttering an incantation she raised her hand and illuminated the alleyway.

Ez was already beyond light range, but there was a still form crumpled on the floor close to her. She skidded to a halt. A young man with brown hair, eyes wide open and staring in horror.

She reached for a pulse: weak but there. Then she saw the burns on the youth's arms and felt dizzy as she realised what Ez was chasing down.

'EZREAL!' she screamed after him, scrambling to her feet and sprinting after him.

She was too late. As she turned a corner she saw Ez: limp in the arms of a dark, shadowy form.

It glowed a pale, ghostly green, a lantern hanging from his belt and a wicked curved scythe in one hand.

Instinctively she threw a light binding towards the shape. The light hit it and was instantly absorbed into the blackness of the figure.

The creature snarled, turned, and glided off, clanking as it went, leaving Ezreal to fall to the ground.

She fell to his side and cradled him in her arms, calling his name. He was limp and heavy, his blue eyes closed. There were angry red burns over his face.

For the second time that night she searched for a pulse: for the second time she found one.

She breathed a sigh of relief then looked up sharply at the sound of someone running towards them from the direction of the street, a lethal spell held ready in her fingertips.

Caitlyn skidded into view, her gun raised threateningly and her hair streaming behind her.

Her eyes widened as she took in the sight in front of her and Lux lowered her attack hand in recognition.

Caitlyn readjusted her tall purple hat. 'Looks like I got here too late.'


	5. Chapter 5

KATARINA STRETCHED OUT languidly like a jungle cat in the sunshine, her body naked and warm against Garen's as she slept. He smiled to himself and dropped a kiss in her glorious red hair. A sharp knock at the door startled him. Kat's green eyes snapped open instantly.

'It's alright,' Garen soothed her.

They had been inseparable since his declaration of love, but she still didn't feel safe in the Demacian quarters. He had to admit that at the moment nor did he. The Crownguards were certainly not in favour.

He rose from the warm bed with a sigh, pulling on a pair of trousers he found discarded on the floor. From beneath the covers Kat sleepily admired his broad back and taut muscles.

Garen opened the door to find Quinn standing there. She blushed at Garen's state of undress and studiously avoided the gaze of the naked Noxian assassin in his bed, handing Garen a letter.

'This came for you,' she announced. He took it from her slowly. The purple seal bore the mark of the High Sheriff of Piltover. Garen nodded his thanks and closed the door as Quinn left. Katarina watched his expression as he sat on the edge of the bed, reading it.

As he opened it his face lit up. 'It's from Lux!' he exclaimed. Then his eyes darkened and his skin turned ashen as he read further.

Kat sat up in alarm. 'Garen?'

He folded the letter up and turned to her. 'Ezreal's hurt,' he said bluntly.

"Ezreal" now, she noticed. Not the "Piltover boy" anymore.

'He got attacked by the murderer in Piltover. Lux says he's in a coma and nobody knows whether he'll wake up.'

Kat shook her head slowly in horror, thinking of the bond she and Ez had developed when they had decided to ride to Demacia to rescue Lux together.

Garen crumpled the letter in his fist and stood up. 'I'm going to Piltover,' he stated.

Kat's response was instantaneous. 'And I'm coming with you.'

* * *

EZREAL STILL HADN'T woken up.

When the healers had undressed him they had found magical burns seared all over his body, covering him in angry red welts. He was still breathing, still living, but still sleeping. The other boy who was attacked was the same.

After a day they moved Ez to the Professor's house, tucked up in bed in the room he and Lux had been sharing.

Lux barely left his side. She was in there now, having fallen fast asleep across his chest during her vigil. Caitlyn quietly closed the door and looked up when two figures approached, ready to bar them from going in. It was Garen and Katarina.

Caitlyn nodded in their direction. 'It's really good to see you,' she said quietly, dropping a hand on Garen's arm. 'They're both in there.' She continued down the hall, leaving them to it.

Garen pushed the door open and walked in with Kat following him.

She walked round to the other side of the bed, resting a gentle hand on Ezreal's golden hair.

Garen approached Lux, dropping a comforting hand lightly on her sleeping back. Lux stirred slightly then woke up, blinking her eyes blurrily and focusing on Garen. She just stared at him for a heartbeat in disbelief, before leaping to her feet and launching herself into his arms with a sob.

Katarina had already melted out of the room, unnoticed and with the stealth of her assassin calling, to give the siblings some privacy.

'Garen,' Lux mumbled into his chest.

He held her tighter. 'Lux, I am so sorry,' he said hoarsely, his eyes lingering on the sleeping face of Ezreal. The boy looked peaceful, somehow. 'I've been such an idiot. I'm sorry for taking you away from him, taking you to Demacia. I'm sorry for not looking after you. I should have been there for you!'

Lux pulled back from her brother's arms and gazed into his face, her blue eyes as wide and regarding him with the same trusting innocence she had when they were children and he looked after her.

She smiled at him. 'You're here now,' she whispered. 'That's all that matters.' She suddenly looked towards the door. 'Wait. Was that Kat here with you?'

He blushed slightly: Lux had never seen her big brother blush before. He nodded his head and she hugged him again. 'Oh Garen,' she smiled. 'I'm so pleased.'

He grunted some form of embarrassed thanks and then he pulled a chair up next to Lux's. Brother and sister sat by Ezreal's bedside.

Garen hesitated and then took the boy's limp, cold hand in his own. 'So,' he asked. 'What do they think is wrong?'

Lux reached forward and gently stroked her sleeping lover's cheek. 'The healers here have no idea. Apart from the magical burns, which they said will fade in a few days, he's medically fine. No reason for him to be sleeping. The boy he – rescued – is exactly the same. Caitlyn sent word to the League just after I wrote to you to see if Soraka can come by to help. She's the best healer any of us know.'

Garen nodded thoughtfully then looked at his sister again. Her hair was unwashed and messy, and she looked so tired and strained. 'Lux.'

She looked at him wearily.

'Go and have a bath. And a sleep. And a talk to Kat.' She started to protest and he shook his head. 'No, you need to rest. You won't help Ezreal by exhausting yourself.' He smiled at her. 'It's okay. I'll watch over him while you're gone. I promise I won't leave him.'

She nodded sadly and left, leaving Garen alone with Ezreal.

Once she had gone, Garen looked down at the Piltover explorer. He still held his hand in his own and squeezed it encouragingly. 'Now then, Ezreal of Piltover,' he said gruffly. 'Don't you dare die and leave Lux alone. You just concentrate on getting better.'

Unsurprisingly, Garen didn't get a reply.

* * *

KATARINA AND CAITLYN sat gloomily together in the Professor's kitchen, not talking. Cait had filled the assassin in on what had happened so far.

Kat's sharp hearing heard the door to Ez's room open and her head whipped round to listen closely. She recognised Lux's footsteps and hastily left the kitchen, running upstairs to meet her.

Neither said anything, and Kat just gathered her best friend into a wordless bearhug. Then she released her and said, as if reading Garen's mind: 'Come on. I'm going to draw you a bath.'

The red-haired assassin busied herself with running the taps on the great copper bathtub and adding in some rose-scented bubbles. Then she pulled the screen across to give Lux some privacy as she bathed, allowing her thoughts to wander.

Ez did not look good. It wasn't natural, being so still and…and so _normal_ looking when he was in a coma. Kat sighed. Hopefully Soraka would get there soon and make him better.

She heard a splash from behind the screen and a few moments later Lux appeared, bare-faced and with wet hair, a fluffy white bathrobe wrapped around her. She sat down next to Kat on the bed and Kat wrapped her arms tightly around her. They didn't need to speak: Katarina could feel the waves of despair radiating from her friend.

Instead she lay back on the pillows, gathered Lux up and stroked her hair gently until she slept.


	6. Chapter 6

WELL, SORAKA MUSED, this was certainly an interesting case.

The Starchild had left for Piltover the hour she got the message from the Sheriff of Piltover. One of the League champions apparently unhealable? She wasn't about to let Ezreal die alone in Piltover.

Soraka had arrived in Piltover in the afternoon, marvelling as always at the city's architecture and energy. She had headed straight to the Professor's Mansion, where Sephar had greeted her with relief, the grief evident in his eyes. He wasted no time in taking her to Ezreal's room.

Soraka was initially taken aback by how many familiar faces surrounded his bedside: not only the Sheriff, who had sent the plea for help to the League, and Luxanna Crownguard, but also Garen Crownguard and Katarina du Couteau.

An interesting mix of champions, she thought idly.

And then there was the Grandmaster Explorer himself.

Turning her attention back to him, she held her hands over his body once more and closed her golden eyes.

The Piltover healers had been right: medically, there was nothing wrong with Ezreal. Therefore, she surmised, it must be a magical problem. She was focusing on the wrong area.

Gently brushing aside the busyness and concern in the minds of the champions gathered around them, Soraka focused and sought for Ezreal's mind; for that unique spark of being that made a person who they were. What she found instead made her gasp in horror, her glowing eyes flying open.

'Furanta…' she breathed. She looked wildly around her and met Caitlyn's concerned gaze. 'I need to see the other boy. Immediately!' Soraka said urgently.

Caitlyn swallowed and nodded wordlessly and led the healer out.

'Wait!' Lux called after them. 'What about Ez?'

Garen laid a gentle hand on her arm to stop her running after them. 'Let Soraka do her job, love,' he counselled.

* * *

FURANTA. FOR DEFINITE. Soraka couldn't believe it.

She turned slowly to the audience she had gathered: concerned champions, curious medics, the Piltover Police Department; and prepared to explain as best she could.

'Ezreal and the boy are victims of furanta,' she began. 'Well, were almost victims. The others who died, undoubtedly so.'

She struggled to put the concept into words.

'Furanta is a form of the blackest, darkest magic: of soul stealing. With furanta, the dark mage binds the soul before removing it. It's a much more effective technique than soul-stealing, as it allows the mage to store up soul-packets, if you will, and then utilise them when needed.' She paused. 'But furanta takes much more skill: only a highly-disciplined and highly talented mage can perform it. It also takes time; to enter the victim and bind the soul. That's what's wrong with Ezreal and the boy: their souls are bound up within them, trapped in their own bodies. When Ezreal, and then Luxanna, interrupted the mage, he was stopped both times from the final step and taking the soul.'

Caitlyn nodded her head, looking serious. 'Right,' she said with conviction, trying to gain some control over the situation. 'So, how do we fix them? How do we make Ez and the boy better?'

'We need to find and kill the mage who did it. The…"key", for want of a better word, that will open the lock to their bindings, is in his mind. If we kill the mind, kill the key, then the lock becomes useless and will fall open.'

'How do we kill the mage?' A quiet, feminine voice. Lux.

Soraka paused before answering. 'With magic. With light magic. Darkness is just the absence of light, after all.'

Lux didn't look satisfied. 'When I found it attacking Ez I cast a light biding on it,' she recalled. 'The dark mage absorbed it and escaped. What if he is too strong?'

Soraka smiled comfortingly. 'Luxanna, it is auspicious that you are here.' She nodded to the other League champions present: a marksman, an assassin, a tank. 'You're the only mage, the only one from the League who has the ability to fight this monster. And a light mage at that!' she looked at her, golden eyes blazing with intensity.

'Luxanna, I believe that only you have the ability to save Ezreal's life.'


	7. Chapter 7

CAITLYN HAD WASTED no time in rallying the troops: notes had gone to her partner Vi, Constable Trundle and Captain Volibear at the Institute of War.

She had then headed straight back to the Piltover Police Department building to draw up patrol rotas and reread her file notes following Soraka's explanation.

Posters with curfew details explained had circulated the city, and they were still trying to track down the family of the comatose boy Ezreal had saved from death.

Caitlyn sighed and stretched, yawning widely, and grimaced when she saw it was past midnight. Time for some tea, she decided, getting up from her chair. She didn't have time to rest until they caught this monster and Piltover was safe once again.

As the kettle boiled she flicked through the thick file, her case-hardened mind not faltering at the photographs of the bodies of the other victims.

She wished Vi were already here. As uncontrollable as she often was, Vi's presence always made Caitlyn feel more settled.

The Sheriff poured the water into the cup and stirred in some milk to the tea.

Pinned on the wall behind her was a massive map of Piltover city. Coloured pins and photographs denoted where the kills had happened, and on what dates.

They'd had to add a sixth murder to the list anyway: the night after Ezreal and the boy had been attacked, before Caitlyn had made it back to Piltover, another man had been killed.

She frowned slightly as she considered the dates. There was a definite pattern there. Grabbing a scrap of paper and a pen she hurriedly made some notes and calculations. She paused for a moment, rechecking her facts, and then sat down and thoughtfully sipped her tea. The murderer certainly seemed to be following a particular route through the city.

Caitlyn yawned sleepily and quickly drank some more tea, pulling a map of Piltover in front of her and tracing a route through the twisting alleyways and half-forgotten backstreets. Half forgotten to normal Piltoverians that is; not to the Sheriff and her intrepid sidekick. Caitlyn yawned again and put her pen down. Vi would be here tomorrow. Then everything would be okay.

I'll just close my eyes for ten minutes, Cait thought to herself as she eventually fell asleep in the darkened room.

* * *

PROFESSOR SEPHAR HAD taken the invasion of his home with champions from the Institute of War with sensitivity and a cheerful ease.

For Caitlyn and Vi, he had ensured that the twin beds in the room his twin daughters had shared before they grew up and moved out were made up. They had the Police Department building but late night discussions had made it a good idea for them having somewhere to crash at the manor.

With Katarina and Garen, he had observed their sometimes stiff, sometimes synced interactions, and correctly surmised that they were well established but only recently in the open. He gave them a room far from anyone else, giving them some privacy.

With Soraka, he had taken one look at the softly-spoken, purple-skinned starchild and recognised her origins. The west tower was topped with a glass-ceilinged observatory, and there she slept under the muted light of her stellar sisters.

Even the appearance of the two snowy giants; Trundle, the Troll King, and Volibear, the Thunder's Roar, hadn't wrongfooted Sephar. He shook their enormous hands in delight, having never been to Freljord but having devoured books on Freljord legends as a child, and then promptly offered them the large, outdoor icehouse for accommodation. Volibear had slept so well that his thunderous snores had kept the pink-haired troll awake all night.

Caitlyn gathered her team together at the Piltover Police Force building the day after they had arrived in the city. Even now Trundle was grumbling to himself about Volibear's snoring and was busily knitting himself a pair of huge pink ear defenders.

Caitlyn hid a smile at the sight and inadvertently caught Vi's eye. The Enforcer was sitting behind the two Freljord champions and the police officers of the Force, her booted feet resting on the tabletop in front of her, with one of her giant hextech fists nestled in her lap as she polished it lovingly. Vi raised an arched eyebrow in her direction and blew her a kiss, making Caitlyn blush slightly and hurriedly refocus on the officers in front of her.

The Sheriff cleared her throat and pointed at the mounted map behind her. Time to talk her team through her theory on the murderer's movements.


	8. Chapter 8

CAITLYN STOOD IN front of the League champions, a piece of paper in her hand.

'I've set up four patrol teams,' she announced. 'And I want two champions with each team. We'll be on continuous alert and make sure that Piltover is aware of our presence and that they can come to us if they need it.'

She let her gaze linger over the gathered champions, then looked over her piece of paper.

'Champion partners….' She muttered, looking first to the Might of Demacia. 'Garen, you'll…'

'I'll go with Lux,' he said shortly.

'…you'll come with me,' Caitlyn finished, ignoring the warrior's statement.

Garen opened his mouth to protest when Volibear cut in. 'I'll accompany Luxanna,' he growled in his deep voice.

Lux smiled at the big white bear and squeezed his paw gratefully. 'Thank you, Voli,' she whispered.

Garen closed his mouth again. He had faced the Freljordian champion on the Rift countless times: he'd had one memorable match where his entire team had attempted to slay the giant bear, only for him to waltz safely back to his turrets taking minimal damage. Volibear would protect Lux.

Caitlyn continued her rolecall. 'Soraka, you're with Vi.' The starchild nodded agreeably and shot a smile at Vi.

'And Katarina and Trundle, I'd like you together please.' The troll's icy blue eyes glowed ethereally as he and the assassin coolly appraised one another.

Caitlyn looked up from her list. 'Right then. Good luck everyone. Stay safe.'

VOLIBEAR LOOKED SMART in his blue jacket and cap with his gold police badge shining, Lux mused as he ambled over to her, ready to go.

She looked up at the bear towering over her and stood up on tiptoes, reaching upwards towards his neck: his tie was wonky. Straightening it up for him she smiled up at him and he nodded his head in thanks.

She was glad to be paired with the taciturn leader of the Ursine. He seemed to sense that she needed quiet to focus and channel herself before they headed out today.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and then let it out steadily. She adjusted the purple cloak around her shoulders and ran her hand reassuringly along the small, glowing glass bottles held in a bandolier across her body: mana potions given to her by Soraka. When they came up against the dark mage she could not afford to exhaust her magic.

Six men and women in Piltover Police force uniforms came to join them. Caitlyn's planning had been precise and detailed: the forces were all given their own area to patrol: the one Lux and Volibear were taking was the one Caitlyn thought the dark mage was most likely to take.

Ready, the girl and the bear head out into the dark night.

* * *

THE MONSTER CAME to them. Volibear and Lux halted in horror as he melted out of the dark shadows in front of them. The police on their patrol group took one look and ran from the alley in fear. The being was glowing a luminous green, his eyes pupilless and gleaming. He had heavy keys and clanking chains around his waist, and a green lantern floating at his side. The weapon in his hands was a curved scythe on a chain.

The being appeared to smile 'Luxanna Crownguard,' it hissed. His voice was strange, echoing and whispering as if hundreds of terrified people hushed him as he spoke. 'You think you are the light. But even light cannot pierce some darknesses.'

Lux looked down at her feet, seemingly scared, her small body undefended and tiny compared to the glowing green apparition. Volibear growled low in his throat as the dark mage chuckled deeply, about to move forward and overpower the cowed mage.

Then Lux's head snapped up, and the monster almost – _almost_ – stumbled backwards in alarm. Her eyes were glowing a swirling, chaotic mixture of gold and silver, and a glowing aura emanated from her body, illuminating her like an angel in the darkened alleyway.

Her angelic eyes focused on the demon and she laughed calmly, a chilling sound in the darkness. 'This light can pierce any darkness,' she countered quietly, and then they were fighting, with a speed that made Volibear's head hurt to watch.

He roared furiously, a sound that normally terrified even the most battle-hardened champion on the Rift. The monster barely reacted, lazily flicking a shard of green towards the bear as he and Lux battled furiously. Voli howled in pain as the magic hit him square in his chest and he collapsed. Lux had thrown out a hand to ward him, but a split second too late.

He growled at her when she hesitated slightly in her attack, starting to turn her body towards him. 'I'm fine,' he called through gritted teeth. She left him and flashed closer to the monster, throwing balls of exploding light and dangerous lightning flashes in his direction, as he retaliated with vicious strikes from his ghostly scythe and darts of blackest black magic.

This was no match on Summoner's Rift; where champions' magic and power is safely contained and levelled to ensure the fights are fairly matched. Unbound and uncensored, Lux and the dark warden fought fiercely with unbridled ferocity.

Soon all of the mana pots Soraka had given her had been exhausted, and the green tinged apparition was starting to slow. He growled in her direction, his green lantern glowing as it floated alongside him, his scythe brandished at her. He advanced on her menacingly as her last spark of light exploded uselessly against him.

He could sense her exhaustion, smell her fear, see her strange golden eyes falter and turn blue once again as her magic faded. 'Would you like to see your soul?' he laughed low and gravelly, swinging his lantern slowly and moving towards her.

Volibear struggled to get to his feet, ignoring the shooting, draining pain that accompanied movement. He couldn't let this happen!

Lux focused her blue eyes on the monster. She closed them briefly, felt the slight shift of air across her face from the lantern as it moved past her. She thought of Ezreal, of his still form and eyes that would not open again if she did not succeed.

She breathed deeply, drawing every ounce of power and magic she could isolate in her body. She opened her eyes and looked the warden directly in his evil green eyes. 'Would you like to see yours?'

Then she summoned a Final Spark so strong Volibear was blinded as it engulfed the spectre. He heard a strangled, outraged cry and a clanking of chains: when the light had dissipated the demon's lantern lay on the ground, green and glowing, and the monster had disappeared. Lux watched the lantern fall to the floor, her arms loose at her sides. Then she collapsed, eyes rolling in her head.

Volibear managed to catch her before she fell to the ground and picked her up easily in both his arms, rushing her out of the alley and towards Soraka as her breathing stopped. Behind him, one of the wary Piltover policemen gingerly picked up the lantern, still glowing ominously, and followed him out into the open.

Across the city, Ezreal's eyes snapped open, clear and lucid, as the professor sitting next to him nearly tumbled out of his chair in shock.


	9. Chapter 9

EVERYONE WAS TIRED. No-one spoke as they sat around the big table in Professor Sephar's kitchen.

Garen was standing behind Katarina, gently massaging the back of her neck as she leaned trustingly back towards him.

Vi and Caitlyn were still at the Piltover Police Department, slowly working through the paperwork and case files following the battle in the alley.

Volibear and Trundle had left the city with the glowing green lantern safely in their possession: Professor Sephar had recognised the item, and the description of the chained, green-tinged apparition that Volibear had given them.

Thresh, the Chain Warden: a creature from nightmares and horror stories, told of in tales in the dark of night. A sadistic jailor whose tortures of his prisoners backfired when they escaped one day, hanging him in his own chains. The warden hadn't let death stop him that easily, however, and continued his grim reaping, his collection of tortured souls in his lantern. He was supposed to be a story, a legend: a nightmare.

Volibear and Trundle were taking him, trapped in his infernal lantern, to the Institute of War for judgement and punishment there.

Ezreal was watching over Lux. She now lay in the bed, her eyes closed and her body sleeping. Soraka had reassured him: she was suffering with magical exhaustion, having used the last inch of her power to finish Thresh off. She would wake when her reserves had replenished themselves.

A soft sigh, barely a noise at all, escaped her lips. Ez was alert at once, taking her hand in his and leaning in towards her. He stroked her blonde hair softly.

Lux?' he whispered hopefully. 'Sweetheart, can you hear me?'

Her long dark eyelashes fluttered weakly and those beautiful blue eyes opened at last. He sighed in relief, happiness flooding his system, and a slow smile played over his face as she blinked sleepily and gradually focused on him, her eyes clearing.

'Ezreal?' She tried to sit up but was too weak: he gently pushed her back against the pillows and brushed his lips lightly against hers.

'You're alive,' she mumbled, still sounding half asleep.

'I am,' he agreed. 'Because of you.'

He saw horror creep into her eyes as memories came flooding back: awful memories of Ezreal comatose, of Volibear lying injured in the alleyway, of Thresh and nightmares and soulstealing and terrible, inescapable darkness.

'No, no, no,' he hastened to reassure her. 'Everything's okay now. You beat him. Thresh's soul was harvested by his own lantern after you killed him.'

Ezreal reached onto the bedside table to pass her a glass of water. Lux looked over and was taken aback to see a vase full of the most violently discordant flowers: blazing pink asters, dying black roses, and brilliantly bright orange jungle orchids that oozed perfume and Ezreal was sure were poisonous. She looked at him in confusion.

'Did you… uh, did you pick them?' she tried to look grateful.

With a snort of laughter her handed her the card that came with them. Someone (he suspected Sona) had written a note wishing Lux a speedy recovery on behalf of the oddest triumvirate of wellwishers above their inky handprints: Blitzcrank's metallic fist, Cho'Gath's enormous claw and Gnar's tiny paw. Lux's face softened in delight as she read it and she regarded the flowers with renewed tenderness. 'How incredibly sweet of them.'

Ez bit his lip and looked down at his hands to stop himself from laughing. When he looked up at her again he regained his composure. He regarded her seriously. 'How are you feeling?' he asked.

She smiled at him but it didn't quite reach her eyes. 'I'm alright. Exhausted. I – I had bad dreams…' she paused and broke off eye contact with him, thinking of Thresh. She had seen him in her nightmares as she slept and her body healed itself: glowing green images accompanied by the haunting clanking of chains.

Ezreal looked uncomfortable. He supposed now was as good a time as any to tell her. 'The League released him from his lantern,' he told her. Her eyes widened in disbelief. 'They've forced him to join the champions, to fight on the Rift, as his punishment. They think serving Valoran and her people is a good way for him to repay us for the terror he has been inflicting on the mortal realm for centuries.'

Lux shivered imperceptibly, knowing that she would have to face the Warden again sometime on the Rift. Then she squeezed Ezreal's hand. 'It doesn't matter. It was all worth it to get you back.' Sitting up slowly this time, she gently grasped his cheek in her hand and kissed him. Then her eyes closed again and she started to fall backwards. Ez lowered her gently onto the bed.


	10. Chapter 10

KATARINA YAWNED AS she stood from her writing desk at the knock on the door. She caught a glimpse of the Institute grounds from the window and still felt a slight shock at the change in scenery.

Following their service to Piltover in helping to capture Thresh, she and Garen had been offered a room in the Piltover wing of the Institute of War. They had accepted after some thought, agreeing to keep their respective rooms in the Noxian and Demacian quarters as well. Garen was lying back on their bed, reading the Demacian Times.

It had been a week since Lux had beat the dark warden. She had woken up after three days, and Ezreal was bringing her home today. She was still a little weak but had fully recovered.

Katarina opened the door to see Blitzcrank standing there. The steam golem huffed and reached out his hand towards the assasin: she smiled at him and took the envelope proffered to her. Blitz steamed off down the hallway and Katarina closed the door again, looking at the elegant script detailing her name on the front of the letter and, turning it over, noting the initials in the red wax seal: SF.

Garen looked up and regarded Katarina's thoughtful expression. 'Everything alright?' he asked. 'Who's that from?'

Katarina ripped open the envelope. 'Looks like it's from Sarah,' she said as she pulled the parchment out.

'Sarah Fortune?' Garen clarified.

Katarina nodded as she unfolded the sheet. 'You know Sarah,' she laughed. 'Probably just wanting to fill me in on the latest Bilgewater gossip.'

Then she focused on the letter and began to read, hers eyes widening as she did. This was no gossip after all...

 _THE END_

 ** _A/N: Hello everyone! I just wanted to take the time to say thank you for reading, and I really hoped you have enjoyed it. This and Into the Light were reposts of earlier work but I am working on a new Lux x Ez at the moment, so should have some new stuff up for you soon! Please do leave me a review and follow me if you've been enjoying them. Let me know who you'd like to see make an appearance in the new stuff, or what you haven't been enjoying so much. I take everything into consideration!_**


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